Terminal board



Dec. 31, 1963 1. M. MILLER 3,116,099

TERMINAL BOARD Filed Jan. 4, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M1 MIMI E H 7" "null" IN VEN TOR. IMRICH M MILLER BY A W524? %W- Zw4 his ATTORNEY-5' Dec. 31, 1963 I.'M. MILLER TERMINAL BOARD Filed Jan. 4, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG 5 FIG. 7

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ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,116,099 TERMINAL BOARD Inirich M. Miller, East Paterson, N..l., assignor to Universal Mfg. Corp, Paterson, Ni, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Jan. 4, was, Ser. No. 3% 10 Claims. (61. 339-198) This invention relates to terminal boards and, more particularly, to electrical terminal boards having novel means for eifecting connections between a plurality of electrical conductors.

Terminal boards are frequently employed when an electrical connection is to be made between two or more wires and it is not desira le to connect them directly together. This situation may arise when wires having different sizes and different insulating coatings must be connected together. For example, the windings of a transformer are made of a fine gauge coated wire which is electrically coupled to a relatively heavy gauge uncoated lead wire. In this situation, a suitable terminal board must also be adapted to be attached to the transformer and have means for properly insulating the wires from the transformer. In addition, the terminal board must also be able to be assembled and attached to the wires rapidly and economically in accordance with modern mass production methods.

Accordingly, it is the purpose of the present invention to provide a terminal board having the above described advantages. This purpose is attained by providing a novel terminal member attached to a section of terminal board base material which includes at least two portions that are adapted to be connected to different wires. These portions are so designed and spaced apart that a wire may be fused to one portion without disturbing a prior fusion of a different wire to another portion.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, each terminal member includes two staples or metal stitches that are inserted in overlapping relation into a section of terminal board base material, each stitch having one upstanding leg and one overlapping leg. The upstanding legs are so positioned that a wire can be fused to either leg without affecting the prior fusion of a wire to the other leg. Moreover, each leg may be shaped to accommodate a particular type of Wire so that the Wires may be fastened thereto very rapidly and efiiciently while the base material is so formed that the staples and the wires are effectively insulated from other electrical components in the vicinity.

This invention may be more completely understood from the following detailed description of representative embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures of the drawings in which:

FIGURES 1 and 2 are views of the top of the terminal board with one and two of the metal stitches of each terminal inserted, respectively;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom view of the terminal board with two sitches inserted;

FIGURE 4 is a view of the top of the terminal board with solder preflowed in the hooks formed by one of the stitches of each terminal;

FIGURE 5 illustrates a fully assembled terminal board mounted on an electrical component;

FIGURE 6 illustrates a terminal member constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the invention; and

FIGURE 7 is a view in cross-section taken along the line 7-7 of FIGURE 6.

The terminal board illustrated in FIGURES 1 to 5 includes a section 10 which is made of a terminal board insulating base material and has a plurality of tabs 11 and scores 12 formed on the base, preferably by a stamp Zilldfihh Patented Dec. 31, 1963 ing process. When assembling the terminal board, the section 10 is run through a stitching machine which fastens, in the embodiment illustrated, four stitches 13 to the section. The stitches 13, shown in FIGURE 1, are formed with two upstanding legs 14 and 15 of um equal length and the shorter leg 15 is clinched down against the section it The material used for the stitches 13 may be a copper wire having :a round cross-section, but it should be understood that other materials could be used to meet different requirements.

Thereafter, the section 18] is run through a second stitching machine and four stitches 16 are fastened to it with their bights or links superposed on the bights or links of the stitches 13. The lengths of the legs of the stitches 16 are also made unequal and the short leg of each stitch is clinched down against the top of the short leg 15 of one of the stitches '13. The long legs of the stitches id are bent over at their outer ends so that they form open hooks having eyes that are adapted to receive conduc tors as will be explained hereinafter. A preferred mate rial for the stitches 16 is a tinned steel wire having a flat cross-section but, of course, other materials could be used.

After the stitches i3 and 16 have been fastened to the section 1%, either the links or the clinched legs, or both, of the two stitches are soldered together and masses of solder 17, FXGURE 4, are preflowed into the eyes formed by the books of the stitches T6. The section 1d is then folded at the scores 12 and the ends 18 are folded down against the underside of the section so that they cover the links of the stitches. This provides an insulating layer that separates the links of the stitches and the electrical component onto which the board is mounted.

When mounting :a terminal board of the type described on an electrical component such as the transformer 19 shown in FIGURE 5, the terminal board is first placed flat against a side of the transformer and secured thereto by such means as a strip 2% of a suitable adhesive tape. The transformer includes a stack of laminations 2i and a winding 22 which has a plurality of component lead wires 23 that are usually made of a very fine gauge coated material. Each of the wires 23 leading from the windings 22 is looped around one of the tabs 11 formed on the section fill and wound around the long leg 14 of one of the stitches 13. Since the wires 23 are covered with an insulating enamel or other coating, it is preferred that the wires 23 be fused to the legs 14 by such means as a gas Welding process which, because of the high temperature of the welding process, ensures complete removal of the coating from the wires without the necessity of scraping the leads.

After the component lead wires 23 have been fused to the legs 14 of the stitches, a plurality of external lead wires 24, which are usually of a relatively heavy gauge material, are fused to the terminal members by heating and tinning the exposed ends of the wires and forcing the heated ends up against the solder masses 17. This action causes the solder to melt so that the exposed ends of the wires are received in the eyes formed by the books of the stitches 16 and are firmly fastened thereto when the solder hardens. By this method, a good electrical connection is effected without overheating the stitches 14 and 16, which eliminates the danger of the prior fusion of the wires 23 to the legs 14 being disturbed. If desired, another electrieal component, such as a capacitor 25, can also be fastened to the terminal members by heating and tinning its leads 26 and forcing them into the hooks of the stitches 16 along with the leads 24.

FIGURES 6 and 7 illustrate a terminal member 27 constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. The member 27 may be made by a suitable stamping process and includes a flat portion 28 and an upstanding leg 29. The flat portion 2 8 has a plurality of tabs 36 which may be clinched onto a section 31 of a terminal board base material. A component lead wire 32 is hooked around a tab 33 formed on the section 31 and it is then wound around the upstanding leg 2? and fused thereto. It is preferred that a high temperature fusing process such as gas welding be employed for the reasons previously explained. After the Wire 32 has been fused to the upstanding leg 2%, a heavier gauge component lead wire 34 has its exposed end 35 inserted between a pair of ears 36 which are mechanically crimped over the end 35.

It should be understood that other means can be employed to fasten the lead wires to the terminal members. For example, various other welding processes such as arc welding, resistance welding, etc. could be employed to fuse the component lead wires to the members. The external lead wires can be mechanically crimped in place or ultrasonic soft soldering methods can be employed in place of the ordinary soft soldering techniques. Also, brazing or silver soldering techniques are suitable. If a one-piece terminal member of the type shown in FIG- URES 6 and 7 is being used, it can be attached to the terminal board base material by such means as a rivet or an eyelet instead of the tabs shown.

The gauge of the terminal member materials in all of the embodiments described should be compatible With the size of the wires being attached thereto, and the leg lengths should be so portioned that there will be no deterioration of the terminal board base material due to the heat involved in the focusing process. After the fine gauge component lead wires have been attached to the upstanding legs of the terminal members, these legs are preferably turned over on their sides as shown in FIGURE so that they are out of the Way.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described for purposes of illustration, it is apparent that changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention in its broader aspects. Therefore, the invention described herein is not to be construed as limited to the specific embodiment described but is intended to encompass all modifications thereof coming within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A terminal board comprising a section of insulating material, a plurality of terminal members fastened to the section, each of the members including electrically conductive first and second portions, each of the first and second portions comprising two spaced elements passing through the section and extending on one side thereof and a link connecting the two elements on the other side of the section in overlapping relation to the corresponding link of the other portion, means electrically connecting the first and second portions together, the first portion being adapted to be connected to a conductor by a high temperature fusion process and the second portion being adapted to be connected to a conductor, and the first portion being of small cross-sectional area and extending a substantial distance from the section so that relatively little heat from a high temperature fusion of a conductor to the first portion is conducted through the first portion to the section and the first portion being sufficiently distant from the second portion that a connection between a conductor and the second portion does not disturb a prior fusion of a conductor to the first portion.

2. A terminal board as defined by claim 1 wherein the second portion is adapted to be connected to a conductor by a soldering process.

3. A terminal board as defined by claim 1 wherein the second portion is adapted to be connected to a conductor by a crimping process.

4. A terminal board as defined by claim 1 wherein the first and second portions are first and second stitches, respectively.

5. A terminal board comprising a section of insulating material adapted to be mounted on an electrical component, at least one electrically conductive terminal member fastened to the section, the member having a first portion of small cross-sectional area extending a substantial distance from the section and adapted to be connected to a relatively fine gauge insulated conductor by a high temperature fusion process so that relatively little heat from the fusion process is conducted through the first portion to the section, and a second portion that is adapted to be connected to a relatively heavy gauge conductor, the first and second portions comprising two spaced elements passing through the section and extending on one side thereof and a link connecting the two elements on the other side of the section in overlapping relation to the corresponding link of the other portion.

6. A terminal board comprising a section of insulating material, at least one terminal member fastened to the section, the member having first and second portions that are electrically connected together, the first portion being a wire of small cross-sectional area extending a substantial distance from the section and being adapted to be connected to an insulated conductor by a high temperature fusion process so that relatively little heat from the fusion process is conducted through the first portion to the section, and the second portion being adapted to be connected to a relatively heavy gauge conductor, the first and second portions comprising two spaced elements passing through the section and extending on one side thereof and a link connecting the two elements on the other side of the section in overlapping relation to the corresponding link of the other portion.

7. A method of electrically connecting a plurality of relatively fine gauge insulated conductors to a plurality of relatively heavy gauge conductors comprising the steps of fastening a plurality of terminal members to a section of insulating material by inserting a first portion of each terminal member having a pair of spaced conducting elements connected by a conductive link through the section of insulating material so that the pair of conducting elements pass through the section and extend on one side thereof and the connecting link is on the other side, inserting a second portion of the corresponding terminal member having a similar structure through the section so that the first and second portions are electrically connected together, the first portions being of small crosssectional area and extending a substantial distance from the section so that relatively little heat is conducted through a first portion to the section of insulating material as a result of high temperature fusion of the portion to one of the insulated conductors, connecting one of the insulated conductors to the first portion of one of the terminal members by a high temperature fusion process, and connecting one of the relatively heavy gauge conductors to the second portion of said one of the terminal members.

8. A method of electrically connecting a plurality of lead conductors from an electrical component to a plurality of external lead wires comprising the steps of fastening a plurality of terminal members to a section of insulating material by inserting a first portion of each terminal member having a pair of spaced conducting elements connected by a conductive link through the section of insulating material so that the pair of conducting elements pass through the section and extend on one side thereof and the connecting link is on the other side, inserting a second portion of the corresponding terminal member having a similar structure through the section so that the first and second portions are electrically connected together, the first portions being of small crosssectional area and extending a substantial distance from the section so that relatively little heat is conducted through a first portion to the section of insulating material as a result of high temperature fusion of the portion to one of the insulated conductors, fastening the section of =3 insulating material to the electrical component, connecting one of the lead conductors from the electrical component to the first portion of one of the terminal members by a high temperature fusing process, and connecting one of the external lead Wires to the second portion of said one of the terminal members.

9. A method of assembling an electrical terminal on an insulating terminal board comprising the steps of insert ing a plurality of metal stitches each having a pair of spaced conducting elements and a conducting link connecting the elements through a section of insulating material so that the conducting links are in overlapping relation on one side of the section and the spaced conducting elements extend on the other side of the section, clinching down one leg of each metal stitch and electrically connecting the stitches together.

10. A method of assembling an electrical terminal on an insulating terminal board comprising the steps of inserting two metal stitches each having a pair of spaced conducting elements and a conducting link connecting the elements through a section of insulating material so that the conducting links are in overlapping relation on one side of the section and the spaced conducting elements extend on the other side of the section, clinching down one leg of each stitch, electrically connecting the stitches together, bending over a leg of one stitch to form an open hook, and preflowing solder into the open hook.

References fitted in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A TERMINAL BOARD COMPRISING A SECTION OF INSULATING MATERIAL, A PLURALITY OF TERMINAL MEMBERS FASTENED TO THE SECTION, EACH OF THE MEMBERS INCLUDING ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE FIRST AND SECOND PORTIONS, EACH OF THE FIRST AND SECOND PORTIONS COMPRISING TWO SPACED ELEMENTS PASSING THROUGH THE SECTION AND EXTENDING ON ONE SIDE THEREOF AND A LINK CONNECTING THE TWO ELEMENTS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SECTION IN OVERLAPPING RELATION TO THE CORRESPONDING LINK OF THE OTHER PORTION, MEANS ELECTRICALLY CONNECTING THE FIRST AND SECOND PORTIONS TOGETHER, THE FIRST PORTION BEING ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A CONDUCTOR BY A HIGH TEMPERATURE FUSION PROCESS AND THE SECOND PORTION BEING ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A CONDUCTOR, AND THE FIRST PORTION BEING OF SMALL CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA AND EXTENDING A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE FROM THE SECTION SO THAT RELATIVELY LITTLE HEAT FROM A HIGH TEMPERATURE FUSION OF A CONDUCTOR TO THE FIRST PORTION IS CONDUCTED THROUGH THE FIRST PORTION TO THE SECTION AND THE FIRST PORTION BEING SUFFICIENTLY DISTANT FROM THE SECOND PORTION THAT A CONNECTION BETWEEN A CONDUCTOR AND THE SECOND PORTION DOES NOT DISTURB A PRIOR FUSION OF A CONDUCTOR TO THE FIRST PORTION. 